What is Bangladesh’s biggest attraction? It’s the people!
Let’s face it, not many tourists visit Bangladesh and having spent three weeks there, I can sort-of understand why. Bangladesh hasn’t got India’s size and therefore its diversity – there is no Rajasthani desert, no spiritual Varanasi or gleaming Taj Mahal. The Himalayan mountains and trekking trails that make Nepal such a special place are distinctly lacking in Bangladesh as is the ‘we’ve got something for everyone all on one little island’ unique selling point that Sri Lanka is fortunate enough to have going for it. Burma has got the mighty temples of Bagan (plus lots more besides) and Bhutan has its own unique approach to sustainable tourism which keeps it high on most travellers’ bucket list. For fear of offending any Bangladeshi readers we may have picked up along the way, I won’t rub salt in the wound and harp on about the ‘P’ country but again, there is plenty there to impress including the Karakoram Highway and the ruggedness of the Northwest Frontier.
Rajshahi
But there is one thing that Bangladesh has that makes it unique and that’s the Bangladeshi people themselves. It’s difficult to put into words what exactly makes Bangladeshis stand out from other South Asian nationalities. We have shared great experiences with many people from all over the subcontinent but, and I have to be careful not to offend here, the Bangladeshi spirit, honesty and enthusiasm for life is intoxicating.
Bangladesh has had a tough time over the past few decades with a major war, numerous natural disasters and ongoing political issues being the main causes, but the people are welcoming and happy and above all, they are genuine in their friendliness. You rarely get the impression that they want anything more than to say hello, ask a few questions or have their photo taken with you.
Kushtia (left), Dhaka (centre and right)
You are the centre of attraction wherever you go in Bangladesh. Dhaka is best described as Kolkata on speed (sorry for stealing that one from you Doug!) but given it is the tenth-largest city in the world, it’s pretty darn friendly. Everybody wants to know where you are from, where you are going and why you have come to Bangladesh (*). You wouldn’t get that sort of attention in many capital cities these days. In the smaller towns, the experience is similar and in villages, you feel like you are the Pied Piper of Hamelin as you stroll around followed by crowds of children and an equal number of adults.
(*) Why have you come to Bangladesh? This was surprisingly a frequently asked question. It was as if the Bangladeshis themselves didn’t know the answer but when you replied that you had come as a tourist to explore the country, the recipient (or recipients) would appear delighted with the response and push their chest out as a small display of pride.
Dhaka (left) and Barisal (right)
Some examples of Bangladeshi friendliness
I like to keep my passport stamps neat and tidy. When we arrived at Dhaka airport, I asked the immigration officer to stamp my passport in a specific spot. ‘No problem,’ he replied, ‘we are happy fellows here in Bangladesh and most obliging!’ This reply was supported with a broad smile, a slight wobble of the head, and the stamp exactly where I wanted it.
In Rajshahi, we went to a restaurant known for its beef curry. The place was packed but we were welcomed in by two young waiters who found us a table, promptly delivered our order and generally made a good job of serving us. They were both genuinely surprised when we tipped them what to us was a small amount and when we returned the next evening the service was even better.
Kushtia
Whilst waiting for the train from Dhaka to Srimangal, a British Bangladeshi called Ahad introduced himself along with his cousins who were also travelling with him on the train. The train was two hours late arriving so we all got chatting. Once on the train, Ahad promptly came and found us in our seats and invited us to share his carriage. The two-hour journey ended up taking about eight hours. During this time we enjoyed great conversation, were entertained by a travelling musician and plied with endless cups of tea. Ahad even invited us to stay with him in Sylhet, the next town on from Srimangal. Under normal circumstances, we would have accepted the invitation but on this occasion, we had to decline because Srimangal was our last stop in Bangladesh before leaving and we didn’t have enough time. Yet again, everything about the whole experience was genuine.
Srimangal (left) Kushtia (centre) and Puthia (right)
In Barisal, we were waiting on the dockside for the Rocket paddle steamer that we had just arrived on to depart again so that we could take a few photographs of it leaving port. Whilst we were waiting, the captain of the Rocket came and introduced himself and proceeded to tell us how proud he was to be the captain of a boat that was built by the British. He didn’t know we were British prior to making the statement but was overjoyed when he found out that we were. After he had finished talking he shook our hands and thanked us for visiting Bangladesh and for travelling on his Rocket.
Barisal
Also in Barisal, we were taking a look at the outside of the old court building when we were promptly invited inside (read dragged) by about ten barristers for tea, biscuits and about 10,000 selfies.
I would be lying if I said that every interaction with the locals was a bed of roses. Sometimes being the centre of attention and being asked the same questions over and over, drove us (well, mainly me) crazy. Indeed, tea with the barristers became extremely tedious after about 15 minutes and there were times when being in Bangladesh reminded me of visiting China in the early ‘90s, when being the centre of attention and staring squads were the norm.
Ramnagar, near Srimangal
We were literally chased paparazzi-style around the gardens of the Kuthibari (the former home of Rabindranath Tagore, Bengal’s most famous poet) in Kushtia by very excited students, all after selfies of course. And as Kirsty recalls in her Bangladesh selfies post, we were stopped dead in our tracks by two guys on a motorbike in Rajshahi, who wanted a chat and a selfie of Kirsty and his baby daughter (who was also on the bike).
Dhaka (left and centre) and Srimangal (right)
But for the best part, the Bangladeshi people were the highlight of our visit to the country. If you want to see the most impressive historical sites, relax on the best beaches and eat the most delicious cuisine that the subcontinent has to offer then you probably want to head to one of the neighbouring countries but if you want to experience genuinely warm and welcoming people and un-ending hospitality then give Bangladesh a punt.
Banaripara
QUICK TRAVEL TIP: Visa on arrival if flying into the country is standard for many nationalities and combining Bangladesh with India’s northeast states (Manipur, Assam etc) makes for an exceptional off-the-beaten-track experience.
Great post, I love the photos of the people. Did they just volunteer to pose for you or would you ask them? Anyway, fantastic photos.
10th largest city in the world? You surprised me with that one. Wow.
Enjoyed the post and the stories.
Frank (bbqboy)
Thanks Frank and yep, pretty much everyone volunteered or actually asked for their photo to be taken. We are normally not that good at asking someone if we can take their photo and we are not into the idea of taking pictures of people without asking permission first but in Bangladesh this isn’t something you have to worry about!
Yes, I’ve heard people in India and the region enjoy having their photos taken. We’re the same, we ask permission and Lissette a lot less shy about it than we are. In South Africa people seemed happy to have their photo taken.
Good looking people in Bangladesh!
Frank (bbqboy)
Asking permission is the right thing to do but I do sort of envy those that can just ‘get in there’ as they say with their camera. I guess we hold the moral high ground however!!
Great photos, as usual. I remember the little girl with flower petals in her hair, from the village just outside Srimangal.
Thanks Doug. Yes that’s the one – the village where we were like the pied piper with kids following us everywhere and scrambling for their photo to be taken!
Hi Mark,
Enjoyed thoroughly reading your post and the lovely photos of Bangladeshi people you have taken. Seems like you really enjoyed your time here!
I disagree with you that Bangladesh has no impressing sights to see as their neighboring countries do. We have many beautiful sights which is enough to bring people here on a 3 weeks holiday. But the problem is, there is no promotion from the tourism department of the country, so no one knows about them. This is why everyone thinks it is a flat country to visit, which it is actually not.
Bangladesh has 03 UNESCO world heritage site:
1. Sundarbans: Largest mangrove swamp on earth, home of the last Bengal tigers. A 03 days trip in Sundarbans could be one of the best time in your life.
2. Sompur Mahabhihar: The second largest Buddhist monastery south of Himalayas from 8th century.
3. Bagerhat: A Muslim city from 15th century full of beautiful mosques, among which 60 Dome Mosque is the most famous.
Other than these, Bangladesh has beautiful tea plantations in north-east, many archaeological sights in north-west, many floating markets and a completely unique life of people in south-west in the Ganges Delta, beautiful hilly region on the south-east, and many other things to mention. Although it is a small country compared to it’s neighbors, it is diversed. Details of some of these sites could be found in our Bangladesh travel blog here: http://bit.ly/1oOEhfF
But I fully agree with you, that it is the people of Bangladesh, who would make the biggest difference on your trip in Bangladesh. They surely would be one of the most friendly and hospitable people in the world.
Regards from Bangladesh!
Thanks for reading and for your comments. We’re definitely not saying Bangladesh doesn’t have any interesting sights – after all, we spent almost a month travelling around the country visiting many of the places you mention. We strongly encourage adventurous travellers to visit, but still maintain that it is largely about the experience, even the scenery, and many of the actual tourism sites are secondary to that. In almost all cases, it was the interaction with local people at the sights and the adventure of reaching them on public transport which really enhanced our travels – if we had reached them by air-conditioned vehicle and met no-one, we would have had a very different experience! Having worked in the tourism industry all our working lives, we do understand there are many challenges in promoting Bangladesh and as you mention, there is no activity from the tourism department!
Did you try out their famous fish Hilsa??
Yes we pretty much ate our way through Bangladesh! đŸ™‚ Loved the fish curry!
Hey, mark and Kirsty,
awesome post! I afflict you that East Pakistan has no impressing sights to visualize as their neighboring countries do. we’ve several lovely sights that are enough to bring folks here on a three weeks vacation. however, the matter is, there’s no promotion from the commercial enterprise department of the country, therefore nobody is aware of concerning them. this is often why everybody thinks it’s a flat country to go to, that it’s truly not. Whatever, Thanks for sharing. See you again.
Thank you! Yes, you’re certainly correct that information and support from the department of tourism is not forthcoming! Despite not having a lot of “sights to tick off” a list, we really enjoyed our travels in Bangladesh and believe the country has a lot to offer the more adventurous traveller who are interested in learning about history and culture.
I am from Singapore and there are workers from Bangladesh working as construction workers here. Recently my house is undergoing renovations and I am impressed with their self confidence which is far from arrogance or anything supported by fame and riches. They greeted me like an old friends with equal status kind of attitude. I think this form of self confidence and true to themselves is good and I think makes them different. đŸ™‚
Opps my name is Petrina Lee
Thank you for your comment Petrina. We have spent time in Singapore (one of our closest friends and his family used to live there) and have also had a similar experience with Bangladeshis we have met there. It’s good to know you have also had the same experiences!!!
I would like to visit sometime in the future soon. Thanks for enlighting me.
No problem! Bangladesh is an interesting place that sees few tourists!
Thanks and a lot of thanks because it makes other and everyone that we need to do something and that even if we don’t we are all good in heart
Awesome photos. Great work!
They look like dark skinned European!
You should visit the floating guava market at barisal…. its the best boat journey you will ever experience the raw beauty of village and river… abd temples.. and ofcourse Guava ! Limes, fres coconuts .. papaya… so exotic!
Best place in Bangladesh is south and Syhlet. Dont say that we dont have anything to offer. Its just matter of finiding out.
“Bangladesh’s biggest attraction? It’s the people!” – So true, I’ve found the same here in the Bangladesh. Simply love your content. Cheers!
Thank you for commenting and for the nice compliment about our content – we greatly appreciate it!
Dear Friends & Colleague
During these unprecedented times we have realized how insignificant we are as humans in front of nature.
However there are two things we know about crisis from our experience: they are all different, and they all end. We are not just economic partners but flesh & blood communities facing the same issues. Very soon things will bounce back and we will rise together, stronger than ever before.
We are all in this together.
Regards – Team Tourism Window
#WeloveBangladesh
Let’s hope so – Bangladesh definitely deserves more tourists!
Wow, thanks for the nice post. We are inviting you to visit Bangladesh again at your convenience.
You’re welcome! We hope to return sometime soon and explore the south of the country!
Hi Mark and Kirsty,
What a fantastic, feel-good report to start the day with! As an expat living in California, I often wondered about the hospitality of our countrymen back at home. As they say, grass is greener on the other side and when I first came to America (as every immigrant does) we were blown away how friendly Americans are. Of course, then life happens, I assimilated, got my citizenship and eventually started to get disenchanted, jaded, and disillusioned. (There is an article online called “The Paradox of American Friendliness” if you may so be inclined to read.)
In general, we Bangladeshi people are very simple people. When foreigners grace us with their presence – as you pointed out- we are elated but also confused. The simplistic rationale being “here we are all trying to flee our country to the States and Europe, and y’all are here?” Haha.
Yes. Bangladeshi hospitality is renowned. But when we point this out to our own people, they become critical, circumspect and cautious. They would point out: “Yes but to what extent? Just come and live here for a while.”
While it IS true, we can be accomodating to foreigners and give them all we got even though we may not have much… the question becomes are we this friendly to our own folks when not asking for selfies.
The truth is complicated. In Bangladesh, back in the days, when we would visit neighbors (not friends or relatives), it is just basic courtesy to offer some refreshment and make not small… but “long talk”. People genuinely seemed to care about you and interested about your life story. Even as late as 90s.
But then globalization happened. Some people interpreted this as ‘nosiness’ and ‘lack of boundaries’ – yes our own people- and nowadays people really don’t care about the neighbors.
Africans have this concept called Ubuntu. We also had (have?) a similar concept of community and neighborhood where when one person bleeds, the whole community suffers as part of the same organ.
When I visited back my country, I used to routinely visit this coffee shop. The staff who attened me was genuinely friendly and gave me nothing but top-class service. Given human penchance to be critical of such friendliness, sometimes my flag would be up and I would think because of ‘baksheesh’ or tips. At any rate, they never asked for anything and when I later told them I am going back to California, I left them a small amount of tip.
To sum up, I think all perspectives are valid to certain extent. As you yourself said, it wasn’t “bed of roses” all the time. From what I gather, regardless of Europe, Bangladesh or America – we humans by birth are really genuinely friendly people and nice. That is our true divine nature.
However, life happens. People misuse or take advantage of niceties or become too nosy. (Such as in Bangladesh if someone where to buy a new big screen TV – as the urban lore went- people would ask where did they get the money for such. LOL!)
Thus, par abus de ‘life experience’… we ultimately become jaded, disillusioned, and disenchanted. People erect walls and personal boundaries sometimes become way too rigid.
In truth, regardless of culture, we humanity ARE nice. We ARE friendly. We are ALL kind and compassionate. I just hope Bangladeshi peopel – and their simpleton, naivete – can STILL preserve such bastion of goodness and geniune hospitality in a world which seems to have gone to hell in a handbasket.
LOL!
Dear Sir, Thank you very much for your insightful comments and kind words about our blog. We still look back on our (to date) only visit to Bangladesh with great fondness. It is hard, these days, to go to a country that is seemingly completely unspoiled by tourism and we certainly got this impression when we travelled the country. As I mention in the post, we met a British Bangladeshi on the train from Dhaka to Srimangal and I recall he spoke of some of the things you mention above. Thanks again for taking the time to write with your impressions. Best wishes, Mark and Kirsty.